﻿TROUT HEALTH IN NORTH CAROLINA﻿

Angler Science Opportunity of NCTU Members

The North Carolina Trout Unlimited Council has been contacted by Dave Kumlein, TU's Coordinator Aquatic Invasive Species and Jack Williams, TU's Senior Scientist and invited to be part of a new TU Angler Science program. This program will be in cooperation with North Carolina State University Department of Applied Ecology's Brad Taylor. Discussions are under way to develope a simple test kit with a one page instruction sheet that will be distributed to TU members statewide that commit to collecting algee specimens found in cold water streams and rivers. These test kits will be developed, distributed and ultimately returned to NCSU for testing for Didymo. At this point in the discussion, we are looking at between 500 and 1000 test kits and will be distributed to each individual chapter to its volunteering members. There is an app for smart phones that will be needed to participate in this stream sampling, iNaturslist. This is a free app and it will allow you to get your GPS Coordinates and take pictures of the collection site. This information will help locate exactly where all streams have been sampled and will be posted on a map for angler reference. Our goal is to get this program up and running by early to mid May.

SynonymsEchinella geminataLyngbye, 1819Gomphonema geminatum(Lyngbye) C. Agardh, 1824Didymosphenia geminata, commonly known as didymo or rock snot, is a species of diatom that produces nuisance growths in freshwater rivers and streams with consistently cold water temperatures and low nutrient levels.[1] It is native to the northern hemisphere, and considered an invasive species in Australia, Argentina,[2] New Zealand,[3] and Chile.[4] Even within its native range, it has taken on invasive characteristics since the 1980s.[1] It is not considered a significant human health risk,[5] but it can affect stream habitats and sources of food for fish and make recreational activities unpleasant. This microscopic alga can be spread in a single drop of water.[1]

DescriptionScanning electron micrograph of the silica cell wall of D. geminata.Scale bar is 50 μm. Image by Sarah Spaulding, USGS.[6]Didymosphenia geminata is a diatom, which is a type of single-celled organism unique for their silica (SiO2) cell walls. The life history of diatoms includes both vegetative and sexual reproduction, though the sexual stage is not yet documented in this species. Although it is symmetric only along the apical axis, typical of gomphonemoid diatoms, it is a cymbelloid, which are typically symmetric along both primary axes. Cells contain a raphe, which allows them to move on surfaces, and an apical porefield, through which a mucopolysaccharide stalk is secreted.The stalk can attach to rocks, plants, or other submerged surfaces. When the diatom cell divides, through vegetative reproduction, the stalk divides too, eventually forming a mass of branching stalks. The nuisance build-up is not the cell itself, but their massive production of extracellular stalks. Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) that form the stalks are made primarily of polysaccharides and protein, forming complex, multi-layered structures that are resistant to degradation.[6]Native rangeThe native distribution of D. geminata is the cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, including the rivers of northern forests and alpine regions of Europe, Asia and parts of North America. Until its recent discovery in New Zealand, where it was introduced, it was never previously found in the Southern Hemisphere.[7] The distribution of didymo in the last two decades appears to be gradually expanding outside its native range. Even within its native range, there have been reports of excessive growths in areas where it previously existed only in low concentrations.Current distributionNorth America

Seneca Creek in eastern West VirginiaWest Virginia: In 2008, didymo was found in West Virginia in the Elk River in Webster County near Webster Springs and in Glady Fork and Gandy Creek, both in Randolph County.[29][30] The alga was found in Seneca Creek in Pendleton County in 2009.[31]South America[edit]Chile: In 2010, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and a Chilean laboratory, Centro de Investigacion en Ecosistemas de la Patagonia (CIEP), confirmed the identification of the diatom D. geminata (didymo) as forming extensive blooms in Chilean rivers in Chile's Los Lagos Region (X Región de Los Lagos) in the Andes west of Esquel, a town in the Chubut Province of Argentina, with reports from the Espolon River and the Futaleufú River for a total of more than 56 river kilometers affected.[32][33][34]New Zealand[edit]Main article: Didymo in New ZealandD. geminata was discovered in New Zealand in 2004, the first time it was found in the southern hemisphere. To restrict its spread, the whole of New Zealand's South Island was declared a controlled area in December 2005. Extensive publicity was carried out to limit the spread, but it has subsequently been found in an increasing number of rivers there.Preventing further spreadCheck: Before leaving the river, remove all obvious clumps of algae and look for hidden clumps. Leave them at the site. If you find clumps later don't wash them down the drain, treat them with the approved methods below, dry them and soak them in bleach for at least 4 hours.Clean: Soak and scrub all items for at least one minute in either hot (60 °C) water, a 2% solution of household bleach, antiseptic hand cleaner, or dishwashing detergent.Dry: If cleaning is not practical (e.g. livestock, pets), after the item is completely dry wait an additional 48 hours before contact or use in any other waterway.New Zealand and the U.S. states of Alaska, Maryland and Vermont have banned anglers from wearing felt-soled boots. Orvis, a leading U.S. manufacturer of fly-fishing equipment, has started selling more rubber-soled boots than felt-soled.[35]References

North Carolina trout have seen significant challenges in recent years. In 2015, gill lice and whirling disease were found in NC trout waters. In early 2016, didymo was found as well. Trout Unlimited has taken the initiative to organize agency and organization partners to form the NC Trout Health Initiative - and held our inaugural meeting in the fall of 2015. The NC Wildlife Resources Commission, NC Dept of Agriculture, US Forest Service, the Federation of Fly Fishers, the NC Wildlife Federation, and the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians begin the discussion of trout health in North Carolina.

TU is asking for help from our members and friends:

Practice good gear care. Clean and dry your gear between trips.

Encourage your fishing companions to do the same.

Participate. Your chapter can help with signage and research projects.

REPORT- use your new trout health reporting form to submit any findings from the stream.

First let me thank you for all you do to support TU and our mission of clean, clear fishable water. Early last year we were informed that Gill Lice and Whirling Disease was found in certain NC waters. Now we learn that didymo (Didymosphenia geminata) has been found and verified in the Tuckasieegee River. I think most NC anglers were surprised it taken as long as it has to show up in our water. Didymo has been in Tennessee since around 2005 and in Virginia since around 2006.

The current accepted protocol of Check, Clean and Dry for equipment is encouraged for the containment of didymo as well as the other nuisance aquatic species found in our mountain waters. Climate change may also be a factor in the spread of Didymo. With the water flow rates being down in the summer, lower nutrient levels are present and the growing season begins earlier. The visible result of didymo is not the diatom itself, which is a single cell alga but the branching stalks of the diatom reproducing that forms the mats that we are familiar with. The Didymosphenia geminata diatom has been found in NC water before but conditions were not as favorable as it is now.

Now is then time for all serious trout fishermen to join Trout Unlimited. TU has a strong partnership with the NCWRC, NCDNR and USFS and is uniquely positioned to speak on behalf of a united sportsmen base to the issues affecting our cold water resources. Click on the Join page of this website and follow the instructions. NCTU Council want to encourage all NCTU members to please consider purchasing a TU license plate to help support our mission. NCTU receives around $10.00 per for every TU license plate sold.